Canadian Butter Tarts (2024)

If you’ve never heard of butter tarts before, you’re missing out. These perfectly flaky treats are sure to be a new favorite dessert in your household.

What are butter tarts?

Butter tarts are a pastry that normally includes a filling of butter, eggs, syrup and sugar. This filling is then baked in a flaky and delicious pastry shell. Butter tarts are particularly popular in Canada and are commonly eaten during holidays.

What’s the difference between a butter tart and a pecan pie?

While these desserts are similar, they have a few key differences. First, pecans are the star of pecan pie but are optional in butter tarts (we like them in our recipe, though). Second, a butter tart has a runnier filling than the firmer pecan pie filling. And finally, butter tarts are popular in Canada while pecan pie is a southern classic in the United States.

Butter Tart Ingredients

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Tart:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Shortening
  • Egg
  • Ice water
  • White vinegar

Filling:

  • Egg
  • Brown sugar
  • Light corn syrup
  • Butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Raisins, chopped pecans or chopped walnuts

Directions

Step 1: Line muffin pans

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 18 muffin cups with foil liners.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure not to use paper-lined foil liners. The tarts will stick.

Step 2: Start the dough

In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender, knife or your hands until the mixture is crumbly like oatmeal.

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

In another bowl, whisk the egg, ice water and vinegar. Gradually add it to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork until the dough holds together when you press it.

Step 4: Shape the dough

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Shape dough into a large disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic and place it in the freezer to chill for 15 to 20 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip the chilling step. This will lead to flaky crust!

Step 5: Make the tart shells

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With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick circle on a flour-covered surface like your countertop. Cut 18 circles with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter, rerolling dough as needed. Gently press pastry circles onto the bottoms and up the sides of the foil liners.

Step 6: Fill the tart shells

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In a small bowl, mix together the egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla. Then stir in the raisins.

Spoon the filling into the unbaked shells, dividing it evenly.

Step 7: Bake

Place muffin tins in the oven on a lower rack. Bake until the tart crusts are golden brown and the filling bubbles up, 13 to 15 minutes. Then, let the tarts cool completely on a wire rack.

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How to Store Butter Tarts

Store your delicious tarts in an airtight glass or plastic container in the fridge. The tarts will last for about a week.

Butter Tarts Tips

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Why are my butter tarts soggy?

If your butter tarts turn out too soggy, it’s likely your filling was too watered down or your pastry was rolled too thin. Next time, make sure your pastry is rolled out to a 1/4-inch thickness. It may take a couple tries to perfect your butter tart, but you can do it!

Test Kitchen Approved

Canadian Butter Tarts

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Prep Time25 min

Cook Time15 min

Yield1-1/2 dozen.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • FILLING:
  • 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1-1/4 cups raisins or chopped pecans or chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Text Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line 18 muffin cups with foil liners. (Do not use paper-lined foil liners.) In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. In another bowl, whisk egg, ice water and vinegar. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disk; wrap and freeze 15-20 minutes.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4-in.-thick circle. Cut 18 circles with a floured 3-in. round cookie cutter, rerolling dough as needed. Gently press crust circles onto bottoms and up sides of foil liners.
  3. In a small bowl, mix egg, brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla until blended; stir in raisins. Spoon into crust cups, dividing evenly.
  4. Bake on a lower oven rack until filling begins to bubble up and crusts are golden brown, 13-15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts

1 tart: 230 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 22mg cholesterol, 85mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.

Author

Lauren Jarvis-Gibson

Lauren has been writing about wellness and lifestyle for almost 10 years. She also has published three poetry books. When Lauren isn't working, she’s likely trying out new pasta recipes, exploring new restaurants, writing new poetry, or spending time with loved ones.

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Canadian Butter Tarts (7)

Canadian Butter Tarts (2024)

FAQs

Are butter tarts only in Canada? ›

History. Butter tarts became common in pioneer Canadian cooking, and they remain a characteristic pastry of Canada. It is primarily eaten in and associated with the English-speaking provinces of Canada.

What is a butter tart slang? ›

Butter tarts are indeed a popular Canadian pastery. The phrase butter tart, as used in the song, is also slang for a woman's parts.

Do you grease butter tart pans? ›

When making a pie or tart there is no need to grease the tin before you line it with pastry – the high butter content in the pastry will naturally stop it from sticking to the tin.

What is butter tart filling made of? ›

Butter Tart Ingredients

Brown sugar: The sweet filling starts with brown sugar. Butter: A stick of butter lends richness and flavor. Eggs: Eggs add moisture and help bind the filling together. Mix-ins: Raisins and chopped walnuts add texture and flavor.

Can you get butter tarts in the USA? ›

Does America have butter tarts? Yes, any decent bakery will typically carry butter tarts, that quintessential Canadian pastry.

Does Costco have butter tarts? ›

Grandmothers Bake Shoppe Pecan Butter Tarts, 15 Pack | Costco.

What does it mean when a man calls a woman a tart? ›

2. a. : a promiscuous woman : a woman who has many sexual partners. b. : prostitute.

What does it mean when someone calls you butter fingers? ›

A butterfingers is someone with a clumsy tendency to drop things they're holding. Being a butterfingers is considered a particularly bad trait in baseball, for obvious reasons. The common use of this term by sportscasters in the 1920s inspired the name for the newly-invented candy known as Butterfinger.

When did tart become an insult? ›

Not until the 1880s do we find instances of its being applied to prostitutes. The original inspiration was presumably that tarts were thought of as sweet and toothsome.

Why are my butter tarts soggy? ›

If your butter tarts unfortunately turn out too soggy, it's likely your filling was too watered down or your pastry was rolled too thin. Next time, make sure your pastry is only rolled out to a 1/4-inch-thickness. It may take a couple tries to perfect your butter tart, and that's totally OK!

Why are butter tarts a must try? ›

They are a humble treat, made with ordinary ingredients, and spectacularly delicious. “If you look at the ingredients, it's really what you have in your pantry when you have nothing else,” said Liz Driver, the author of “Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825–1949.”

Why do my butter tarts boil over? ›

Butter tarts most often boil over because they were filled too full before baking. Try to only fill each tart 2/3 full with filling so there's plenty of room for bubbling and expansion.

Should butter tarts have raisins? ›

Purists say true butter tarts should not contain raisins or nuts. For Currie and March of Wasaga Beach, Ont., they have to have raisins. Some like runny fillings, some firm. Some like thick pastry shells while others like thin so the filling stars.

Can I use margarine instead of butter for tart crust? ›

You can use cold unsalted margarine for the butter if desired, or you can use 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening.

Why do my butter tarts crystallize? ›

Sucrose naturally wants to crystalize, which is how granulated sugar is made from simple sugars like fructose and glucose. To reduce the amount of crystallization in the butter tart filling when baking, try adding some acidity (i.e. lemon juice or 1 spoon of corn syrup).

What are tarts in England? ›

In the 19th century, tart was British slang for "pretty woman." Some believe it is a shortening of "sweetheart." But by the end of that century, tart described a prostitute, something many language scholars trace back to the tart that you get at the bakery.

Are Pop-Tarts in other countries? ›

They are distributed mainly in the United States, but are also available in Canada and the United Kingdom.

What is a butter substitute in Canada? ›

Becel® margarine is made from a blend of plant and seed oils that contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats – and according to Health Canada1, replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from vegetable oils can help to lower cholesterol?

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